Chapter 25
“What the hell is the Vault?” Reyna asked later when they were leaving the restaurant.
“You’ll see,” Beckham said.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“No,” he said curtly.
Reyna bit her lip. The way they talked about it at lunch made it sound both exciting and scary. What was she about to walk into? And why the hell wouldn’t Beckham tell her where they were going?
Once they were finally back in the apartment and Beckham was halfway to his room, she spoke again. “Are you going to tell me anything about it? What I need to wear? Where we’re going? What we’re going to be doing?”
“You agreed to come. You plotted this whole thing so you would be there. You’ll have to deal with the consequences. Follow my instructions when I give them and do what I say. Everything else will be decided for you.”
“I can follow instructions. I can come on command.” She said that double entendre under her breath.
Beckham arched an eyebrow but otherwise didn’t respond to her. She was pretty much used to that, and all the more irritated with him. Beckham disappeared for the rest of the afternoon, leaving her to think about everything that had happened recently with him and wonder what they were going to do.
To try to clear her mind, she sent Everett a text message.
Want to do that thing this weekend? I have plans Friday, but maybe Saturday?
He answered back almost immediately.
I don’t think it’s a good idea. What if we get caught?
He had a fair point. She didn’t know what would happen if she got caught sneaking into a black market blood bank, but she didn’t exactly think it would be rainbows and butterflies.
Then let’s not get caught.
You make it sound so easy.
Last time, the room was unguarded when the crowd was in uproar. Maybe we just make something like that happen?
How exactly do you expect to do that?
That was a great question. She had no idea, but she knew that she wanted to get back in there and find out what they were up to.
I don’t know.
Maybe we can meet this weekend and figure it out.
Reyna shrugged. She didn’t have any plans except this Vault thing, so it sounded fine to her.
Saturday night?
See you after I get off work.
Time felt endlessly slow on Friday. She was cooped up in her room waiting for this Vault thing to go down. Waiting for something that she knew nothing about made her unbelievably anxious. When she tried to look up the Vault on the Internet, her search came back with a bunch of meaningless websites. Certainly nothing that would have the need for this level of secrecy.
At around eleven at night, two women showed up in her room and got to work on her hair and makeup. When she attempted engaging them in conversation, they remained silent. She didn’t know if they were under orders from Beckham not to give anything away or if they really didn’t know what was going on. Either way they transformed her face until she almost didn’t recognize the sexy vixen wearing the smoky makeup. The hairstylist pulled her dark hair into a sexy updo with loose tendrils framing her face and falling out of her twist.
When she walked out of her bathroom, she found a small white bag on her bed. She peeked inside, and her eyes widened in surprise. Of all the things Beckham could have suggested, the last thing she expected was skimpy lingerie. She hoped that something was going over this.
She ran her hands over the soft silk and laces of the outfit and then stripped out of the dress she was wearing. A woman came in a minute later to assist her into the red and black corseted top. She tightened the laces until Reyna was afraid she wasn’t going to be able to breathe. The corset was paired with ruffled black boy shorts, thigh-high stockings that attached to the bottom of the corset with ribbons, and a pair of black-heeled boots. She felt ridiculous…but also sexy in a way she never had before.
“Where is my dress?” she asked.
The woman handed her a black silk kimono that didn’t look like it would even cover her ass. “Here you are.”
“Wait…but where is the dress that goes over this?”
“This was all we were provided.”
Reyna slid the kimono over her shoulders and pulled it closed over the revealing outfit. Not that it did much to hide the fact that she was wearing very little.
What the hell had she got herself into? She was dressed like a real escort.
Reyna pushed down her apprehension and decided to own it. She had gotten herself invited to the Vault. There was no way she was about to walk away just because she was dressed in even more scandalous clothing than normal. Beckham had seen her half-naked. This wouldn’t be so bad.
When she left her room, Beckham turned his gaze to her, and she let the front of the kimono drop open. His eyes swept her body. He inhaled deeply and his lip quirked upward for a split second. He tried so hard to hold on to his cool demeanor, but she could tell that her outfit affected him. She may have been pissed at him, but it was always nice to feel sexy.
“Stay close to me,” he said, walking toward her. “Everyone is going to want to get their hands on you in that.”
“Everyone?” she asked.
He smirked. “Oh yes…everyone.”
“Even you?”
His eyes darkened, and he looked away from her. “Just don’t leave my side. You have no idea what you’re about to walk into.”
She wanted to ask him to tell her, but the look on his face stilled the question on her tongue. He wasn’t going to answer. She knew that much. He was enjoying the anticipation.
She focused her attention instead on imprinting the way Beckham looked in that moment to her brain. Head cocked to one side, dressed in a black suit with a black shirt underneath unbuttoned at the top. All black from head to toe and utterly delectable. It might be easier to avoid wanting to jump his bones if he didn’t look so damn attractive.
In the place of their normal Town Car was a sleek black limo. Her eyes lit up. She had never been in a limo before. Never even dreamed that she would have use for one. The driver opened the door for her, and she slipped into the backseat. Beckham followed after her.
“There’s one more piece to your outfit,” he told her once the car started moving.
“Oh?” she asked, intrigued.
He removed a thick black ribbon of silk from his pocket. He looked devious in the dim lighting.
“Have you ever been blindfolded?” he asked.
She swallowed and shook her head. “Is that necessary?”
“The Vault has strict security. No one is supposed to know the exact location unless you’re an elite member. It’s a precaution.” He twirled his finger in place. “Turn around.”
She slowly did as instructed. Her heart pitter-pattered in her chest with anticipation. She hated herself for getting so worked up over it—but damn, she wanted him. Even through her anger and his stupidity, she wanted to feel alive again with him.
He slid the fabric over her eyes and everything went dark. He tied it in a tight knot at the back of her head. His hand slipped down her back once he finished. “How is that?” he asked.
“I can’t see anything.”
She tightened her legs together. Without her sense of sight, she was susceptible to everything else tenfold. The smell of his musky cologne, the light touch of his hand against her skin, the small physical distance between them—and how desperately her heightened awareness made her want to bridge it.
But after touching her back, Beckham left the space between them vacant. She felt cold and empty without him, but she wouldn’t be the one to cross the line. Not after what had happened on the roof. Her nerves got the better of her and with each passing mile and turn of the car, she grew more anxious about where they were going. About a half hour later, the car started driving downward beneath the city.
The car finally came to a halt.
She was ready to pry off the blindfold herself and find out where she was. She had been turned around thirty minutes ago and had no hope of ever leading anyone to the underground location.
Beckham leaned toward her in the limo and tugged the blindfold from her face. She found herself staring into his dark eyes as she adjusted to the new light.
“We’re here,” he said.
“Where is here exactly?”
He shook his head. “It’s best if you leave all the talking to me.”
“Okay,” she said hesitantly.
“And I got you something.”
“What? Something else?”
He removed a black box from the inside of his jacket pocket and handed it to her. She took it in her hands in awe. A jewelry box. Who would have thought she would ever own a piece of jewelry that would warrant a black velvet box?
She pried the top open and stared down at the most beautiful silver bangle bracelet, in-laid with diamonds. The top was engraved with the words ANDERSON, O-. Her mouth was open and she couldn’t seem to recover herself. A diamond bracelet? She knew he was wealthy, but she never would have thought he would splurge on something like this for her.
Beckham slipped it on her wrist, where it sat cold against her skin. “Never take this off once you’re inside.”
“Why?”
“It shows that you’re with me. It will protect you.”
“From what?” Why was he always so worried that she would need protection?
“Everything.”
That was another non-answer, but she at least trusted him to keep her safe. Even though the bracelet had something to do with the Vault, she relished in the feel of it against her wrist. She loved that it meant she was with him…even if it in some way meant she belonged to him.
“Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
Beckham opened the door and assisted her out of the car. There was a door that blended in with the surrounding concrete, which opened at their approach. They entered a nearly pitch-black hallway. At the end was a small room with a giant vault door. Beckham passed a white card through a slot next to the door, and then a hand slipped them two similar cards.
“Welcome to the Vault,” a woman purred from the other side.
“What’s that?” Reyna asked, pointing at the cards.
“Participation cards. You won’t need yours.”
Reyna arched her eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because you won’t be participating,” he growled low.
“Participating in what?”
“You’re about to find out.”
She looked up at him defiantly. “And what if I want to participate in whatever this is?”
Beckham grabbed her arm and tugged her close to him so they were nearly pressed together. “This bracelet says you’re mine, Little One. No one can get near you but me, and they would be a fool to do so. Now stop talking and let’s go inside.”
Reyna nodded despite her trepidation about what was to come. Their conversation made no sense to her—participation cards, bracelets that claimed her—she steeled herself for whatever she was about to witness.
The large handle on the door turned in circles and then pushed inward. When the door opened all the way, she was transported into another world and gasped in surprise.
“It’s a…sex club,” she whispered.